Sunday 29 July 2018

Nerd Church - Meta Nerd Church






(Meta = about, or self-referential/self-aware.)




I've written over 150 Nerd Church posts since I started this series in February 2015.

Yes. That's how long ago I started Nerd Church.

(Please don't look at those first posts... it's not good! 😅)






lightbulb in a thought bubble






It was one of the first features on this blog - and honestly, it surprised me, when I looked back over my posts, that it was that long ago.

In my head I started this like... a few months ago - not over 3 YEARS ago!

I didn't have a clue what I was doing when I started Nerd Church.

(Much like starting this blog tbh, but moving on...)






I had some vague notion of wanting to talk about life and the world around me via the lens of nerd and pop culture.

I literally called it: 'a small weekly space of deep thinking for the nerd community.'

See? I had no f**king clue what I was talking about.

(Kind of like now, except in the halcyon days of pre-2016...)

I also sounded a little pretentious which... I don't like coming over as pretentious.

If you know me at all, my dear nerdlets, you know that I work v. hard to be as genuine as possible online. Sometimes it works, sometimes it don't *shrugs* - them's the breaks!






Since I started back then I've talked about anything and everything that I felt I needed, or wanted, to talk about:

politics, human rights, equality, mental health, personal beliefs, and any other random thing that popped into my head (including my favourite Welsh-language songs!)

And somehow... you like it?






Like, when I ask what people like about Dora Reads, the answer usually involves Nerd Church in some way.

And while that's amazing and deeply, deeply, flattering, it does leave me with a bit of a conundrum.

...What does it mean, for me, as a book blogger, if the posts everyone loves are my non-bookish posts?

(Yes, I'm aware that I've written a few book/reading-related Nerd Church posts over the years, but they're largely in the minority for this feature/series/whatever-we're-calling-it.)















Like, I overthink things a lot, I know, but is this a sign that I should be a more general/lifestyle blogger?!

Maybe... but I don't think so.

Lemme tell you why.





The way I see it, it's not possible to be a book blogger without talking about other stuff.

Because books aren't generally about reading (although, I have read some good books about books!)

They're about people, lives, families, countries, cultures, magic... you name it, somewhere there's a book about it.

Books are about life.





Books are the filter through which we interpret the world around us.

(Sorry if I sound pretentious, but I do honestly believe this - promise!)

Books are a fantastic medium for capturing pieces of life, examining the world we live in, and perpetuating the life of the ideas, dreams, and journeys, of all us hooman beans.

To talk about books is to talk about life.

(I was raised by hippies. I can't help it.)







Ringo Starr 'Peace and Love, Peace and Love' gif
Via Giphy






Basically, it's not possible to split art (in this case, books,) from the world in which it was created.

And as a reviewer, it's not really possible for me to entirely separate the book from my perception of the world.

Likewise, books shape the way we think about the world - along with other media like films, TV, YouTube, etc.

What we read and what we think about is our way of 'reading' the world. And it's a feedback loop of a sort - what is existent in turn plays a part in what will exist, e.g., what we'll create.






Of course, then there's the other side to Nerd Church - I really want you all to have the information you need for this weird world we live in.

So, yeah, I damn well want to put forward my political views... but I also wanna help you take care of yourselves, and to think about the world around us.

Because I think we all need lessons on how to think differently every now and then.

Maybe I'm not the most qualified for that, but I'm hardly the least qualified person spouting advice and opinions over the internet either!






I'm really hoping that you at least half-understand what I'm talking about, and why I feel like Nerd Church and Dora Reads are totally compatible moving forward.

I don't know, maybe this entire post comes across as me rationalising - which I'm not gonna deny, I kinda am - but I think it's also important to kinda take stock every so often, y'know?

So I think that there's a place in the book-blogging world for a little Nerd Church. Maybe you don't agree, but then, I've always been something of a Bookish Rebel. 😎










Do you like my Nerd Church posts? Do you think this series is compatible with Dora Reads? What sort of Nerd Church posts would you like to see? Talk to me! 💖💋💬









You can follow me on Twitter @CeeDoraReads, on Dora Reads @ BlogLovin, and on Google+. For more ways to support me, check out the Support Me page








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Last Updated: 16th Aug 2018

10 comments:

  1. Your Nerd Church posts are my absolute favourite to read! It’s nice to get a little deep once a week, and your topics are always unique and thought provoking. The thing is, I have never considered you to be just a book blog. Like you said, it’s impossible to just talk about books and not the many other factors that go into them, and I think you have created a blog that takes the themes you read about and goes more into depth with them, as opposed to just skimming over them in a book review.

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    1. You are the sweetest of people Em!!!!! <3

      That's seriously so nice of you to say :) I don't know how to explain how awesome this comment is!!!!!

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  2. To be quite honest I do like your micro poetry the best. :)
    I do like your reviews as well and also the your Nerd Church post! I think all your posts go hand in hand.

    Dinh@Arlene's Book Club

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  3. Oops forgot to say "Congrats for doing the posts since 2015!"

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  4. I've only recently discovered your Nerd Church posts so, yes, I am going to go back and look at the earlier ones ;-)
    On this topic though, I absolutely read to uncover and understand the world outside my immediate experience. My own reading project is WorldReads - an attempt to read books by authors from every country in the world. I love learning #OwnVoices experiences and opinions, especially when they run totally counter to what I've been told to believe.

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    1. Please don't look at the 2015 ones! *Hides face* It ain't good! ;)

      I've heard of that kind of challenge/project! Apparently it gets difficult when you reach the smaller countries! For quite a while I've been increasing the diversity of my reading, including upping the amount of Asian #OwnVoices I read in particular, since the majority of people on Earth are Asian. :)

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  5. I love Nerd Church! It's so unique and you always make me think about interesting topics. I agree that it's completely compatible with your book posts because fiction doesn't exist in a vacuum, it nearly always involves some socio-political commentary. Besides, you should feel free to write about whatever you enjoy-it's your blog! My blog has become a bit of a mash-up of books and lifestyle posts too but I like it like that as it reflects my wide interests.

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    1. Thanks! It's good to know that it's not just me, and that it does make sense to other people too! :)

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Comments? I love comments! Talk to me nerdlets!